Reinventing the Wheel

by Jessica Helfand

The origin of graphic design critic Helfand's book on every type of circular interface originates in her own extensive collection of these ubiquitous objects. Sandwiched between the lengthy introductory and concluding essays is a catalog with color plates, dimensions, manufacturer, and descriptive entry of the "movable, concentrically-aligned" wheels that allow you to dial for information of all sorts, including dial-a-weight, dial-a-word, dial-a- remedy, and dial-a-recipe. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Design, Books About Books, Art Design, Reference, Art

158 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2002

About the author

Jessica Helfand is a designer, artist, and writer. Educated at Yale University, where she has taught for more than twenty years, she is a cofounder of Design Observer and the author of numerous books on visual and cultural criticism. The first Henry Wolf Resident at the American Academy in Rome, Helfand has been a Director's Guest at the Civitella Foundation and a fellow at the Bogliasco Foundation. She will be the artist in residence at the California Institute of Technology in the winter of 2020.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so happy to find this book in my university library. I love volvelles, wheel charts, etc. I do not own any, but I am constantly on the lookout for them. There was one I saw at a gift shop in Rehoboth Beach,Delaware. The name of it was something like: [Wheel Chart] of Lost Things -- you could spin it around and get some clues to where you might find something you lost. I stood in front of it for a long time, thinking, I should buy this ... but there was a part me that convinced me that I didn't NEED it ... I regret listening to that part.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look into the world of volvelles, or information wheels, through the ages. Anyone interested in charts, tables, information formatting, and arcane design through the ages needs this book.

[Brianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The history bits were less interesting than I had hoped they would be but I loved looking through the pictures of the volvelles.